GALLOWAY TWP. _ Ilhee Lee found comfort in the leaderboard on the 18th hole during the second round of the 2025 LPGA ShopRite Classic.

Eight holes completed, Lee, whose day started on No. 10, was walking up the fairway when she glanced at the results and realized she'd make the cut.

Not only was she among the golfers who would make it to the final round, the 36-year-old from the Republic of Korea, who had a 68, ended in sole possession of first place on a day when the event was marred by heavy rains.

"I looked at the leaderboard and said, 'Oh, I'm playing on Sunday,'" Lee noted. "I was happy about it. I feel like all the other people around me have more expectations than I do right now. I'm pretty chill right now."

What Lee is accomplishing at the Classic isn't about merely surviving. It's about finally thriving - something that's been tough to do since she injured her shoulder in 2019.

Lee's two-day total of 131 enabled her to take sole control of the lead at the tournament held at the Seaview Bay Course.

And she did it in fine fashion, reeling off seven consecutive pars to start her round. Emphasizing fun, Lee, winner of one LPGA title, was in high spirits again.

"Just like I did yesterday, I was playing golf," Lee said. "I was having fun out there. I made some birdies on the first nine holes. It was fun. I'm happy again."

The back pain she experienced during her second nine was somewhat remedied by consistent play. Even a double bogey on the par-4 eighth hole didn't affect her. Granted, it was Lee's next-to-last hole but she recovered with a birdie.

"I wanted to hit it close to the hole. I was a little bit short," Lee explained. "I should have hit it safe instead of right at the flag. I did it because I was feeling good and felt like I can go close."

Lee wound up in a bunker. She also missed a putt. Again, no problem, as she finished strong with a birdie on No. 9, a par 5, aided by what she considered "a great tee shot, second shot."

Jennifer Kupcho, a 28-year-old American, moved up to second place with a Saturday score of 64. Her focus was on the two "Ps" - putting and patience.

"(My round) felt good," Kupcho said. "I think a little bit of improvement to be made tomorrow. I wasn't hitting the ball super great off the tee, but at least out here it's manageable out of the rough or fairway bunkers. I was just really giving myself opportunities. I think scores tend to be higher in the afternoon, but I think I kind of just went into it with the mindset of like not every putt will fall. Just be patient. On these greens you definitely have to be patient. I started hitting them a lot closer and that helped."

The two "Ps" strategy worked as Kupcho's putts tracked well and dropped while her patience enabled her to make the right decisions and avoid regrets. Her round ended with a flourish as she penciled in a pair of birdies.

"I think kind of rounding the turn, I just wanted to get to 8 or 9 honestly," Kupcho said. "That was the goal I had set in my mind. To finish off with two more, really just gave myself opportunities and the putts happened to fall."

Also in the mix at 10-under were Mao Saigo, Ayaka Furue and Elizabeth Szokol.